by Abbott, Alex
“We only see wraiths every few years and never in this number,” Remus said dismissively. “They say they aren’t from Manna and I believe them.”
“How did they get here then? Have you seen a tunnel to these other worlds you speak of?”
“I haven’t but they must exist. The ghosts spoke of it.”
“And we haven’t seen a ghost in my lifetime.”
“But I’ve seen one. They’re real Troy. We can’t take the appearance of these fae lightly.”
“What would you have me do with them Remus?”
“Make them open a bridge for me. I would like to see this other world.”
“It sounds to me like they were banished from their world. If they could open a way back to their land, they wouldn’t be creating walls in our world.”
“But you could ask. The princess is fond of you. She would help me if you asked her.”
“She isn’t fond of me,” Troy grumbled. “She’s nice because I saved her life and nothing more.”
“I saw how she looked at you when she got off your back. The girl is sweet on you Troy. Even you aren’t that blind.”
“You are an old man who sees what he wants to see. I will ask. If she is able to open a bridge, you will the first of us to cross it.”
“Thank you.”
Troy left Remus to dream of his other worlds so he could get ready for evening meal. When he got back to his room, Tavis was sitting on the bed stark naked.
“What took you so long? I saw you flying back to the castle hours ago.”
Troy threw open his bureau and pushed the clothes around viciously. “How nice of you to join us Tavis.”
“I’ve barely been gone half a day. Be nice Troy. I came back as soon as I saw Hera close to the castle.”
“You saw her coming and didn’t warn me?”
“You were already gone when I got back. You saw the wall then?”
“I did. It was impressive.”
“I wonder how Hera heard about it so quickly. I assume that’s why she was flying our way.”
“We saw here there. She almost killed us.”
“What?!” Tavis sat up on the bed. “What happened?”
“She was trying to burn it down but the flame bounced back and came right for us.”
“My god. How did you survive?”
Troy pulled a black cloak and shirt from their hangers and opened his pants drawer. “Lena saved us.”
“Lena? The princess?”
“Yes.”
Troy pulled on the pants and buttoned the shirt.
“Are you mad at me Troy?”
He fumbled with the buttons and had to start again. He unbuttoned it too fast and a button ripped off. Sighing, Troy ripped off the shirt and threw it on the ground. He went back to the bureau to get a different shirt.
“Troy. Could you please talk to me?”
“You’re always running off whenever you want to.”
Tavis was taken aback. “Yes. I don’t like being in my human skin all the time. You know this. It’s been that way since we were children.”
“Don’t you ever think that I want to fly away too? Maybe I’d like to get a break from this place.”
“So then do it. You don’t have to stay in this skin if you don’t want to. Come with me. We can go now. Have a quick fly before we eat. I’m already dressed for the occasion.”
Troy smiled despite his anger. “I can not leave now Tavis.”
“Why not? No one needs you right now. They won’t even notice you’re gone. The castle isn’t going to burn because you went out for an hour of fun.”
Troy wavered. Was it really that easy? What if someone needed him while they were away? It was just an hour, he told himself. He would be a much better dinner companion if he was in a good mood. He pulled his pants off. “Let’s go.”
Tavis clapped him on the back. “That’s the spirit.”
The brothers went to the balcony off Troy’s bedroom and jumped off. Before hitting the water, Troy finished his transformation and pulled up sharply. His claws just touched the water as he skimmed the water. He hadn’t even told Tavis about Remus’s idea but it could wait. Tavis would probably be excited that he got to meet someone from another world.
Troy put all of that from his mind as he flew wing-to-wing with his mirror image. They were racing to the edge of the world. They hadn’t done in many nights. Troy was going to win this time. He usually pulled up before crashing into the hard edge of the horizon but this time he wouldn’t. Either Tavis would pull up or they were going to hit the edge.
Troy raced ahead at full speed. Great yellow fish jumped out of the water as he passed. The school was following his path just under the surface of the water. He could see the hundreds of fish swimming in a crazy formation as he flew the same path. The end was coming. The fish swimming ahead were descending as they got close to the blurry end. Some jumped out of the water and actually touched the wall. He looked at Tavis, daring him to keep going.
They were just feet from the wall when Tavis pulled up. Troy had won! He followed Tavis up the edge of the wall into the sky. They flew into the clouds dancing around each other. Tavis flew hard and then banked on a wind gust. They were over Blackfire. Children waved as they flew overheard.
Troy roared loud enough to shake the mortar in between the bricks of the castle. The pair flew until they hit the artificial wall put up by Lena’s sister. It made Troy angry. There were miles more for them to fly beyond her wall. She had no right to lock them away from their land. He shot a green flame toward the wall and dodged out of the way when it came screeching back at him. Her wall went all the way up the barrier in the sky. There was no way around.
Tavis led him away from the wall and back toward the beach. They flew over the black sand bobbing and weaving around each other. It was dangerous to be so close to the ground but Troy trusted his brother. They had never run into each before.
A scream cut across the beach and broke their fun dance. Troy pulled up to get a better view. Tavis touched down on the beach and he twisted his long neck until he was looking behind him. Seeing nothing, Tavis took to the air with Troy. They went further up the beach until they heard the scream again. It was definitely a woman and she was very frightened.
The twin dragons followed the sound until Tavis broke away. Troy followed but he didn’t see what Tavis saw. His brother hit the ground and went into the woods. Trees flew up around him. There was more screams and then the trees lit up in green flames. Tavis backed out of forest and took to the air again.
Troy didn’t follow right away. There was something in the air. It was just like on the beach when he first saw Lena. He stood his ground as sand swirled under his claws. The green flames flicked out and three figures emerged from the trees. A man and woman with blue hair flanked a beautiful black haired woman. He had to look twice. For a moment, he was sure he was staring at Hera. But no, this woman wasn’t the Eternal Sun Queen. Whoever she was, she was just as beautiful.
She screeched when she saw Troy. “You!”
She hurled a bolt of lightning from her hands. It hit Troy just above his heart. Pain shot through his chest. He roared and opened his mouth to burn the woman alive. Whoever she was, she meant to do him harm. The green flame left his mouth but before it reached her, the woman put up her hand. The flames hit the air around her but didn’t touch her or her companions. It was just like when Lena had saved him and his group.
He stopped trying to burn the woman and took to the air too. He flew around the forest and the beach but he didn’t see Tavis. He went closer to the castle and caught sight of his brother in human form. Troy dived for the ground and transformed before he hit the dirt with a light thud.
“Did you see that woman?!” he asked Tavis excited. “She used the same magic as Lena.”
“That must be the sister.” A shaky voice said.
Troy looked down. There was a woman sitting in the dirt behind Tavis. She was wearing a long dress with sp
arkles and had a band with a feather in it around her head. Her blonde hair was cut very short and had odd waves in it. She couldn’t have come from Blackfire or Eternal Sun. None of their women dressed like that. But she also wasn’t dressed like Lena’s people or even the beast-woman.
“Who is this?” Troy asked his brother.
“She says her name is Margaret.”
“My name is Margaret!” the woman said from the ground. Her voice was stronger with anger. “I have no idea who you two are what you are but I need help. That woman is going to kill me!”
“We’re not going to let her get you.” Tavis turned to Troy and spoke softly. “The black haired woman was chasing her with the blue haired ones. She was using the same magic the wraith on the beach used. Lena’s sister.”
“She says she’s my sister!” The woman stood up. “I don’t’ know what you two are whispering about but I need to know if you’re going to help me or not. I’m a shifter too you know. You should help your own kind.”
“Why didn’t you shift?” Tavis asked.
“I couldn’t once I got out from behind the wall. I don’t know what’s going on but I can’t shift at all.”
No wonder the woman sounded so scared. If he couldn’t shift, Troy would be out of his mind. “Hold on. Did you say you were behind the wall?”
The woman nodded. “Sophia brought me here and said I needed to help her. Says were sisters and gave me some line about family helping each other out. I have never seen that woman a day in my life and I sure as hell am not a fairy.”
Tavis nodded. “We know you’re not. We’re going to take you into the castle with us. She won’t follow you there. We’ll see if we can help you.”
The woman burst into tears. “Oh thank you! I don’t know where I am and I’m so scared.”
Tavis put his arm around the woman’s shoulder and walked with her. “It’s alright. You’re safe now.”
Troy followed his brother in the sand. He didn’t know who this Margaret was but that woman with the black hair was Lena’s sister. It seemed that Lena was going to have a lot of explaining to do when they got back.
END
***
Find out what happens next in Revenge: The Lost Tribe Book 2
A Note from Lola:
Thank you so much for reading Exile: The Lost Tribe Book One. If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review. It really helps other readers decide to take a chance when looking for new authors to try out. I would really appreciate it if you have the time!
If you’d like to keep in touch you can always join my new release mailing list. I won’t spam you’re inbox but you’ll get an email whenever I have a new release. You can also friend me on Facebook. ---Lola
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Other Books by Lola Kidd
You can find all of Lola Kidd’s books on Amazon here.
***
Our Wicked Ways
(A Wicked Warriors Motorcycle Club Mystery Romance)
By C. C. Davenport
Prologue
The young girl’s eyes stared vacantly at the ceiling of the car’s trunk lid. No longer did they fill with merriment or joy. The eyelids hung part way down covering the eyes that didn’t blink or register. Her name was Amy and she had been a young and vibrant 28 year old until someone decided it was time for her life to end.
She was the sister to the President of the Wicked Warriors, a motorcycle club that sounded more dangerous than it actually was. Amy’s friend was getting married in a month and she was helping with the planning and all the other small details that go into a wedding and drive a bride nuts. The bride, Lily, was marrying the VP of the WWMC, a person Amy had known for most of her life.
The perpetrator attempted to burn the vehicle in which Amy’s body was placed, but failed miserably. Only smoke instead of flames erupted from the car’s interior. Giving up in disgust, the person left in order to bring back better supplies for burning a car to a nice crispy finish. Only a hunter, who smelled the odd odor, would find the vehicle first and call police before the killer could finish the job.
And so it began. The selfish needs of one would start an avalanche of despair in a club struggling to maintain a moral code. Amidst the storm are two people who come together to fight against the tirade of deception that could consume the club.
*****
Part One
The day he met Ginger was both the best and worst days of his life. Justin, the President of the Wicked Warriors, was finishing a paint job on a 2012 Dodge Dart when the phone call came. The WW Motorcycle Club owned an auto body garage out on Route 68. Part of the building housed an office, clubhouse, and a ‘church’ meeting room for the club.
The Wicked Warriors were involved in illegal activities back in the 80’s and 90’s, but when Justin’s father took over as president, he veered the club away from criminal mischief. It wasn’t difficult to do since multiple deaths from their drug dealing days left only a skeleton crew behind. Justin’s father, Big Red, raised two children on his own since their alcoholic mother took off when Amy was only two and Justin four. Big Red didn’t want his children growing up in an atmosphere of dope and crime. They’d lost one parent and they didn’t need to lose another one to prison. So he used the rest of his savings to open the auto repair shop and give jobs to his club members.
Eventually the club had enough money to build a larger building adjacent to the original, installing new equipment and better ventilation systems. The original building became their club house complete with a bar. It gave the members an area to bring their families and hang out.
Big Red wanted a newer and safer environment for his men and the new building worked out well, but it wasn’t in time to prevent cancer from developing in Big Red’s lungs from the paint fumes. But cancer wasn’t going to beat him. Big Red continued working despite the fatigue from his chemo treatments, until he collapsed one day in the spraying room. That was the day Justin told him it was time to rest, that he couldn’t beat this thing if he continued to work like normal. It was difficult for Big Red to take orders from his son, but he was coming to grips with the situation, and realized that at some point you have to hand the reins over. Which was the same day he gave the gavel to his son. The club was unanimous in their vote for Justin to become President although they were also sad knowing Red’s days were numbered.
Justin made his best friend Conner VP of the WWMC. They had grown up together and Connor’s father had also been a part of the club until he was murdered back during the club’s drug days. Connor was only 4 at the time. After that Connor became an almost permanent fixture at Justin’s house, which was fine with Big Red.
The house was filled with children’s laughter, with Connor spending many a night at the Taylor’s home while his mother worked nights. So the three, Justin, Amy and Connor grew up together along with their extended family.
Big Red continued to come to the club each day with his portable oxygen tank. Once in a while he would look in at the goings on in the body shop, but Justin didn’t want him exposed to the fumes, so he usually kept his distance.
Amy worked as a secretary for the Rosewood Company, an automotive plant in the town of Highland Hills. She’d worked there from the time she was fresh out of high school, now going on 10 years. She had one son, 12 year old Aaron, who she gave birth to when she was only 16. The father was never in the picture as Amy wouldn’t admit to who he was.
Aaron looked like a younger version of Justin, with a shock of brown hair and big green eyes. He was smaller than the other kids his age, but he was smart and Justin had set up a college fund for him when he was 3 years old.
Lily, Connor’s fiancée, worked answering the phone and keeping the books for the Big Red Auto Shop. She flung her long blond hair over her right shoulder as she held the phone out for Justin. Lily was a gorgeous girl with bright blue eyes and porcelain skin. Her sweet demeanor was a welcome
sight and a stark contrast to the rough and tumble guys who inhabited the auto shop. But they kept on their best behavior around Lily, Connor made sure of that.
“Justin, you’ve got a call,” Lily said. “It’s the Health Department.”
Shit Justin thought. Just what he needed.
“Hello,” he said into the phone.
“Mr. Taylor?”
“Yes.”
“This is Ginger Lawrence from the Health Department and I’ll be coming out in an hour to test your ventilation system. I just wanted to make sure you’re open and will be there today.”
“Yes, I’ll be here,” Justin said with a sigh.
“Okay, I’ll see you in an hour.”
Justin hung up the phone and gave it back to Lily.
“Everybody stop what you’re doing. We need to do a clean up before the Health Inspector gets here.”
Everyone groaned. Justin thought his day couldn’t get any worse than a health inspection, but unfortunately he was wrong.
*****
A health inspector wasn’t what Ginger Lawrence had aspired to be, but it paid well and she wasn’t going to complain too much. She had wanted a career as a nurse, but found she didn’t have the heart to watch people suffer. The helping part she loved, but after being an aid at a nursing home and watching countless elderly patients waste away either from sickness or depression, she decided nursing wasn’t for her.
She beat herself up over that decision, feeling she was too weak, but a friend reminded her that not everyone is cut out for certain careers and it was nothing to be ashamed of. So she decided to help protect people’s health in another way, by preventing sickness as much as possible through health inspections. This meant she had to test restaurant kitchens, looking for possible food contamination, mice feces, and roach infestations. Not the glamorous career she’d envisioned when she was younger, but it paid the bills.
